Bayfield Winter Festival

Bayfield will celebrate snow, ice and cabin fever on the weekend of March 3 to 5 with the 12th annual Bayfield Winter Festival. While many featured activities directly benefit local nonprofit organizations like the Recreation and Fitness Resources and Mt. Ashwabay Ski and Recreation Area, others are just plain crazy and fun. Major outdoor events include the Polar Plunge in Lake Superior, the WinterDASH at Mt. Ashwabay, a candlelight hike, sledding and a poker run. Events kick off at 4 p.m. Friday at Mt. Ashwabay (2 miles south of Bayfield) with a bonfire and fireworks. In Bayfield, enjoy a candlelight walk on the Big Ravine Trail. Saturday morning features more activities for kids at Bayfield Area Recreation Center. The Polar Bear Plunge is perhaps the most dramatic of the weekend's activities, as brave souls jump into the 33-degree lake water. Many participants don flamboyant costumes and perform acrobatic dives to vie for prizes. Mt. Ashwabay's WinterDASH, starting at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, is a 5K winter obstacle course that is both challenging and fun. Adventurous festivalgoers can round off the weekend with a Run or Bike On Water at 10:15 a.m. Sunday. Participants can run, ski, skate, bike or skijor, traversing the famous Ice Road across Lake Superior for 4.2 miles to Madeline Island and back. Check our website for updates on this event, as it is weather dependent. Many other activities will take place during the weekend, such as Big Ice Golf, an ice rescue demonstration by the Coast Guard, plus downhill and cross-country skiing and snowboarding at Mt. Ashwabay Recreation Area all weekend. The full schedule is at www.recreationandfitnessresources.org.